Back in 2014 and engineer from Sony Anton Mikhailov, during an interview with Edge magazine, made the claim that PlayStation Move was really a “VR wand disguised as a motion controller”. VR for gaming was still a long way off, but Sony kept an eye on the future. In 2014 it announced Project Morpheus which would eventually become Playstation VR.
Orders for the new Playstation VR have exceeded expectations and retailers have already sold out, with gamers wanting to get their hands on the new technology. So what exactly is all the hype about? Here is some more information on what to expect.
Specs and performance
The VR headset is meant to “feel like it’s not even there”, but like every other VR headset it’s very much there. That being said, the headset is kinda cool looking, it would look ridiculous anywhere other than your living room. It has a 5.7 inch OLED display feature a ,920 x RBG x 1,080-pixel resolution (960 x RGB x 1080 for each eye) with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
The LED lights on the headset aren’t just there to look cool, are used in conjunction with the Move controllers and DualShock 4 for spatial recognition. This lets you move around freely as long as you’re in front of the camera. Speaking of the camera, it is required for use but sold separately…surprise. You’re also going to need at least 60 foot rectangular area to keep the camera field clear. Time for a bigger mancave! Here is a video with more specs and features of what you can do with the VR Headset.
There is also a small black processing unit that gives the headset the power to use some of the features offered in the PSVR, it’s about the same size as the Apple TV box. It sits beside the Play Station and it processes the audio signals that let the player determine which direction audio is meant to be coming from. While the Playstation games are running the unit can display the images from the headset onto a TV so everyone can see what is happening. You can also use the headset to watch movies on a giant virtual screen. It is recommended in the Sony buyer’s guide that PSVR isn’t suitable for kids under 12.
RELEASE DATE, LAUNCH GAMES, AND PRICING
PlayStation VR is set to hit store shelves on October 13 and there are several titles to be released simultaneously, PlayStation VR Worlds, 100Ft Robot Golf and a 3D Pong type of game where you get to dive the depths of the ocean. All in all there is expected to be over 50 games ready for the PSVR, you can check them all out here.
The price at launch is expected to be $400, but that is without the camera and that you will have to buy separately. They also announced bundle pricing which will include the camera and PlayStation VR Worlds. This is the most cost effective way to get into virtual reality, until Microsoft responds.
